The Way Things Turn Out
by overzealouslypessimistic
Summary: Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia a while back, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't seem to have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?
1. Chapter 1

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 1_

~oOo~

Annabeth Chase liked to fork her peas, one pea on each prong. She liked to cube her steak, dice her carrots, and down it all with a glass of Coke.

And right after finishing dinner, she liked to sit down with a blanket on her lap, book in her hands, a glass of water next to her. Then her parents would start to watch a movie, preferably a romantic comedy, and she'd join them.

They'd all be up until midnight, and then she'd go back to her book, and finish it at around two in the morning. She'd wake up at six am, and depart for school at seven am, along with two younger brothers and one older brother.

That was what she preferred.

Now, an unsatisfying salad filled her stomach, the nasty, sterile tasting lettuce settling at the bottom of her belly. If she was lucky, she had the chance to read a book, but by ten pm, lights were out. She was bound to an uncomfortable bed, stuck between an itchy wool blanket and sheets that reeked of old people. The pillow was just as uncomfortable, the stench filling her nose every time she tossed and turned.

She'd be woken up at three am to drop a few pills down her throat, and be forced back asleep, until she was woken back up at six to do the same procedure. It was exhausting to her, and she felt as if she was getting _sicker_.

Her parents would drop by on their way to work, if they hadn't had the chance to stay overnight. She could tell the smell bothered them as much as it did her. She didn't even see her brothers anymore.

This was not her choice.

And so now, instead of being at home, she was stuck in a hospital. Stuck without being able to fork her peas, dice her carrots, and cube her steak. Stuck without being able to curl up into a comfortable blanket without a book. Stuck without her family.

Stuck for weeks, if not longer.

Every chance she got to leave the place, she took it. She took her pills almost religiously, and attended doctor visits as often as needed. Anything to leave.

Of course, the frequent passing out got her admitted again, and by that point, she was a regular.

She was a regular from the day the receptionist started calling her by her first name. She knew she was getting worse when she was sent to the hospital frequently, every two or three weeks. She knew that she needed to fight for what she wanted, not just for what she needed.

She hated living like this.

But, this was her lifestyle.

Whether she chose to accept it or not, that was her choice.

~oOo~

The morning she got released from a two-week period in the hospital, the first thing Annabeth did was grab a cup of coffee on her way home, making her mother stop at Starbucks.

"Are you sure you can have that?" her mom asked her as Annabeth took a sip. She shrugged in response, sighing in content.

She went home and greeted her brothers and father, who were in a frenzy to get to work and school.

Matthew and Bobby hugged at her knees; they were only five years old. She giggled and ruffled their hair, singing a, "Hey you guys!" As soon as they let her go, Malcolm wrapped her in a tight hug. "We've missed you," he said as Annabeth wrapped her arms around him.

She laughed, something she herself hadn't heard in a while. "I've missed you too, y'know."

"You're not going to school today," her mother said sternly, walking into the kitchen and setting her keys down on the countertop.

The family migrated to the kitchen as everyone grabbed some bagels from the pantry and orange juice from the fridge.

Annabeth sighed, rolling her gray eyes. "Please, Mom? I've missed so much."

Athena checked the clock on the microwave and clicked her tongue. "It's almost 8:40. If you really want to go…"

A full-blown grin spread across Annabeth's face and her eyes lit up. She sprinted up to her room, the familiar smell of "home" finally reaching her nose. She stopped a moment to breathe, immediately realizing that running was a bad idea.

Taking it a little slower, she grabbed a set of clothes from her closet, and added a scarf to her outfit because it was cold outside.

She was out of the bathroom in less than ten minutes, and was downstairs in the kitchen joining the rest of her family for breakfast.

Annabeth ate her bagel ravenously, almost barbaric-like. Her family stared at her, then all started laughing at her, and soon enough, her laugh joined theirs. It felt good to laugh as much as she did then, her belly hurting and tears dropping from her eyes. It was something she hadn't done in quite a while.

Fredrick Chase was the first to depart from the dining table. He came over and kissed Annabeth's forehead, murmuring a quick, "We need to catch up, honey. Have a great first day back!"

Annabeth smiled at him and said in response, "Thanks Dad, have a great day at work!"

Malcolm was the next to stand up, throwing his dishes in the sink.

"Be careful, Malcolm," Athena said, her eyes narrowing as he snickered.

He walked over to the edge of the countertop, where his backpack sat. He slung it over his shoulder and grabbed his car keys, which were hanging on the wall right above the countertop.

"Come on, kiddies!" he said in a fake, shrill voice, making everyone laugh. A moment later, he said, "No, seriously. We're all going to be late, especially Matt and Bobby."

Annabeth finished the last of her bagel and downed the rest of her orange juice. Pecking her mother on the cheek, she rested her backpack on her shoulders, patting Matthew and Bobby to keep moving.

"Bye Mom!" the kids chorused on their way out, and Malcolm locked the front door behind all of them.

Malcolm took the driver's seat and Annabeth sat in the passenger seat, not before calling out, "Shotgun!"

Matthew and Bobby sighed heavily and took their seats in the back, before smiling at Annabeth. She smiled back and situated herself, frowning as her bottom rested on the cold leather.

"Did you park this outside?" she asked Malcolm, and he nodded bitterly.

She rolled her eyes at him and sarcastically muttered, "It's a little cold outside."

He grinned. "Your welcome back present."

"A cold butt?"

"Exactly."

"Just what I needed."

He snickered, strapping on the seatbelt and started the car. Annabeth shuddered and hugged herself, her teeth chattering wildly. Malcolm sighed, sending a glare her way and stripping out of his letterman jacket. He threw it on her lap and she smiled gratefully at him, wrapping herself with it.

As he reversed out of the driveway, Matthew and Bobby pulled out their Nintendo DSs, battling both verbally and virtually.

Annabeth smiled at how young they both still were, thinking that it'd be nice to be 5 years old again. No stress, no struggle. That would be the life.

She sighed, hanging her head for a moment. Closing her eyes, she rubbed her hands together, trying her best to generate heat within herself.

It took about five minutes to get to the twins' school, and two minutes to get through the drop-off loop. From there, it took ten minutes to get to Goode High School.

Annabeth's teeth started chattering again, not from the cold, but this time from excitement. "Did I miss anything?" she asked excitedly to Malcolm.

He shrugged, his eyes staying glued to the road. "I don't pay attention."

Annabeth clicked her tongue, and then let out a snicker. Rubbing her eyes, she squinted as they approached their school, trying to identify anyone walking into the building.

It was almost as if it was the first day of school all over again. Of course, she'd been there for that, but since then, she'd gone to the hospital thrice, all three times for two-week periods each. She knew people were suspecting something, but Annabeth wanted to keep it a secret for as long as she could.

Malcolm had been telling everyone that she'd been staying with our aunt and uncle the first time, their grandparents the second time, and now in a private boarding school the most recent time.

All of those had no correlation whatsoever, but it seemed to pass off, and nobody was ever brave enough to ask where she'd actually been.

Of course, there were rumors. One of the reasons she'd been admitted the third time besides the passing out was the overwhelming sensation of people spreading rumors about her.

"Just ignore them," everyone near and dear to her said, but it was kind of hard to ignore.

It came to a point to everyone where she became one of _those _girls – the girl everyone stopped to look at weirdly, the girl who had a vandalized locker, the girl who was made fun of in class.

If only they'd known the true story.

Still, Annabeth stayed strong enough to keep her mask on until she was admitted again.

So, Annabeth was scared. It was a stressful feeling, and the doctor had continually told her not to feel stressed.

As if _that_ would happen.

Her teeth started to chatter again, her hands shaking fervently.

Malcolm, noticing this, parked in the closest parking spot and turned towards her, grabbing ahold of her shoulders.

"It will be okay," he whispered, embracing her in a hug.

Annabeth bit her trembling lip. "I don't know if it will be," she whispered in response, tearing herself away from him.

She drew in a deep breath and looked out the window.

"Just take your time," Malcolm said sincerely, and she nodded gravely in return.

She turned to him, offering a small smile. "Well, I guess this is it."

He smiled back, getting out of the car. Laughing, he asked, "Do you remember your schedule?"

Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed. Sure, it had only been two weeks, but this always happened. Reaching for her backpack, she pulled out a hot pink schedule card. Smiling contently, she looked up at Malcolm. "Yep, I remember."

He grinned, shutting the car door as she got out.

She stood next to the car for a moment, closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of nature. Her hair flew with the direction of the cold winter breeze and her cheeks turned pink. She sniffled and opened her eyes, grinning at Malcolm, who was standing across from her.

"I'm ready."

"Let's go," he said, checking the watch on his wrist. "We still have plenty of time before the first bell too."

Annabeth sighed as she readjusted her backpack, struggling to keep up with the pace of Malcolm. "You're walking way too fast," she told him, and he slowed down a little, shrugging. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and looked down at it while they crossed the road to the front door of the school. Annabeth clutched to his arm as she pulled him away from a speeding car.

His eyes bulged out as he looked at her thankfully. "Thanks," he said breathily.

She nodded, pursing her lips. She let go of him as they finally entered the building, and Annabeth stood in front of the doors for a moment.

Everything came crashing down on her all of a sudden.

All the pain, all the hurt she'd gone through.

Everything came rushing to her, but she shook her head and walked in, a warm front hitting her face. She sniffled again, and pulled out the hot pink card.

Squinting at it to make sure she knew the right first class, she bade Malcolm a good day and headed off to her locker.

Luckily her combination was on the card, otherwise she didn't know what she would have done.

Two weeks is quite a long time to remember trivial things like that.

School was the last thing on her mind when she was at the hospital.

She took the stairs upstairs, roaming through the hallways. Sure, she had a lot of time to kill, but she also felt like she was still figuring out her school. Sighing, she found the hallway her locker was located in.

It really felt like the first day of school all over again.

~oOo~

Annabeth had forgotten that her best friend Thalia was in three of the four classes she had that day. She was grateful for that.

Thalia crushed Annabeth in a bear hug when she'd walked into Mr. Brunner's room first thing that day, and Annabeth was happy to be embraced as such.

"How are you doing?" Thalia said, dropping her voice to a whisper. Annabeth nodded slowly, and took her seat in the class.

Annabeth looked straight ahead as Thalia took the seat to the right of her. She could feel Thalia burning a hole in her neck as Thalia muttered, "A nod is not sufficient enough."

"What do you want me to say, Thalia?" Annabeth asked quietly, turning towards her. "I've already gone twice, and it's mostly for the same reasons. The only thing different was that put me on radiation therapy instead of chemo therapy. Oh, and pills. And gross salad."

Thalia rolled her eyes, tempted to put her hands on her hips. The only stopping her from displaying her attitude was that she was sitting down already.

"Thalia Grace, don't roll your eyes at me," Annabeth said sternly, turning away from her.

Thalia buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily. "Sorry, but I think I have a right to. My best friend spent two weeks in a hospital after simply passing out."

"They said a year at most," Annabeth muttered gravely. "Things aren't going so hot, Thalia. Maybe that's why. So no, you don't have a right to just roll your eyes at me and give off that kind of attitude."

Thalia snorted. "You sound like my mom," she said sardonically, what Annabeth had fully said not hitting her quite yet.

Five minutes later, when Thalia had been sipping her apple juice, spit it out and yelled, "_A year_?!"

Mr. Brunner walked in just then, shooting down Thalia.

Thalia was too busy screaming to even notice. "_A year_?! That's complete bullshit!"

"Thalia Grace," Mr. Brunner said, slamming down some papers on his desk. "Watch your language."

Her eyebrows furrowed, her lips morphing into a frown. She looked like she was going to yell at him, but Annabeth figured she couldn't get any more referrals. Sighing, Thalia sat down in her seat, mumbling an apology.

"They said leukemia was treatable," Thalia said, pouting. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, sitting back in her chair.

Annabeth shrugged, playing it off cool, as if it didn't affect her very much. "It's just not working for me."

"How can you be so impassive about it?!" Thalia shrilled, but when she received no response, she sunk back in her chair.

The first bell for school had finally rang.

* * *

_A/N:_

_Hey there. It's Bubbles, for those of you who don't know. _

_I guess this is _my _take on a troubled teen who has the worst of it all. _

_I really hope you liked it enough to review/follow/favorite/etc! :)_

_Thank you very very much for reading!_

_-Bubbles-_


	2. Chapter 2

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 2_

_~oOo~_

The first day back was hell.

Annabeth was struggling to keep up in her classes, since she'd missed so much. She was smart, but she just needed a recap of what all they'd covered in the time she was gone.

But it wasn't like anybody else was focusing in any of her classes anyways.

They were constantly whispering to each other…about her. She could feel her neck burning from the stares and glares of everyone, their voices buzzing like bees in her ears. She tried hard to ignore them, but after a while it got annoying.

Thalia was going to yell at them, but Annabeth pleaded for her not to.

It would only make things worse.

Annabeth always liked to keep to herself and a few others at times, but other than that, she liked to spend her time isolated.

That was what she preferred.

It prevented her from getting hurt.

It used to happen often, this kind of treatment from others.

She used to spend sleepless nights thinking about her situation, and just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, she was diagnosed.

Diagnosed with acute leukemia.

They said it was curable.

They said that there was a chance.

But now they're saying there isn't.

There's one last treatment they could try, but her body isn't able to handle it yet.

Until she was able to handle it, they said they were going to continue to give her pills and put her on radiation and chemo.

It was almost as if she was getting worse under all the treatment.

No one knew, though. No one knew that she was spending her time in the hospital, no one knew that she was diagnosed with leukemia.

No one knew she had about a year left on her.

~oOo~

She'd missed so much that apparently about 150 new kids showed up at her school two days before she came back.

Nobody knew who these kids were except that they played soccer for an elite team.

They traveled in packs, like a cult.

Annabeth kept snickering to herself whenever she saw the masses of blue and red jackets that read the name of the team they played for; she thought that they couldn't get any fuller of themselves.

It was her first time seeing these people, who were still fumbling their way through school.

"Who are these kids?" Annabeth asked Thalia as they roamed the halls towards their next class for the day. She hugged her binders closer to her chest, her head bent down, and eyes gazing at the floor with every step she took.

She could sense Thalia shrugging. "I don't know, and frankly, I don't care."

Annabeth barked out a laugh, and Thalia shot her a look.

"Sorry," Annabeth said, not feeling sorry at all. "But who do they think they are? I mean, really? I've heard the word 'protect the image' coming out of their mouths at least twenty times today, just in the hallways."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Don't worry too much about it. They don't need to associate themselves with us anyways."

That struck Annabeth hard. Sure, the two of them didn't really like anyone enough to start a conversation, but Annabeth was all for making new friends. Ever since she became the girl that everyone picked on, it was hard for that to happen.

She felt like Thalia was only staying with her because she felt obligated to do so.

She stopped mid-track, and looked at Thalia, who suddenly stopped as well.

Before she could voice her thoughts, she became flustered and said, "Um, I have to go to my locker. You go ahead to whatever class you have."  
"Will you be alright?"

Annabeth's face burned. "Of course I will," she said hotly, turning in the next hallway. "See you later!"

Shaking her head, she looked back down to the ground, eyebrows furrowed, and deep in thought. She hugged her binders closer, gripping them with all her strength until her knuckles turned white.

She was always being treated like she was a charity case.

She didn't like being dependent. Sure, she loved the ones close to her, but it was difficult to put up with them when they think that she's lesser than they are.

That she's not as capable of doing things the way they can.

It irritated the hell out of her.

She'd try and not let it get to her, but it'd always fail, because that's what happened to get her admitted in the hospital in the first place.

The pain was almost too much, and she needed an escape.

The scars on her arms proved that she got her escape.

That it all got to her in the end.

~oOo~

She didn't think about it too much the rest of the week, for the most part.

What she had thought about, actually, was one of the elite soccer boys.

That very next day, a boy had come to her, asking for directions to a class.

Annabeth, flustered with the new encounter, said, "Uh, I dunno. Gotta go, you don't want to be seen with me."

She hadn't meant to say that, but that was what was on her mind, so it was what she ended up saying.

She instantly regretted it, but walked swiftly away from him as fast as she could, until the boy latched on her shoulder.

"What was that supposed to mean?" the boy asked, his eyes begging for help and his voice portraying innocence.

Annabeth shook her head, the blonde curls of her wig bobbing up and down.

"Nothing," she muttered, grabbing the pink schedule card from his hands. Her eyes trailed down the list until she read the name of his first period class out loud. "English with Brunner. Well, look at that," she muttered, rolling her eyes, "you have class with me."

The boy's face lit up as he gently took his schedule card back from her hands. Annabeth wanted to laugh, because he was getting a little too excited to have class with her, but instead, she bit her lip and led the way in silence.

He followed in silence, and she figured he wasn't as bad as she made him out to be.

A group of the players of his team walked the opposite direction and were jeering at him. Annabeth gripped her binder tightly to prevent from yelling at them.

"Ooh, gettin' it, huh?" some of them said. "Ooh, boy, kill 'em!" or something like, "Tell me how it works out!"

Annabeth hissed through her teeth, praying that Malcolm would show up any moment to help her out. Malcolm usually saw reason through things.

But no, she was alone this time, with this kid, and everyone else in the hallways.

Everyone who hated her.

As soon as the pack was out of sight, the boy whispered, "I'm really sorry about that."

Annabeth shrugged, pursing her lips. "I'm used to it."

His eyebrows furrowed, his eyes filling with concern.

"So, I never got your name," he muttered, looking at her.

"It's Annabeth."

"Well, hey Annabeth. I'm Percy."

* * *

_Hey there! _

_Um...I hope you liked?_

_Please review and let me know what you think!_

_-Bubbles-_


	3. Chapter 3

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 3_

~oOo~

Annabeth found herself staring into pools of green. She yelped in surprise, sitting up abruptly and bumping foreheads with the other person.

"What are you doing?" she cried in a shrill voice.

Percy winced, rubbing his forehead. "You passed out on the way to class."

Annabeth's brows furrowed as she propped herself up. She was confused, because she couldn't remember anything before her passing out. "Oh."

"Yeah," he nodded, the corner of his lips lifting into a smirk. "I sent someone to get the nurse, so she should be here any moment."

Annabeth looked around. Nobody else was in the hallway except for the two them, and suddenly she got nervous. Not nervous in the sense that she liked him, but nervous in the sense that he was going to advance on her. She didn't want to trust her instincts to run, because, well, she couldn't.

"Uh, thanks," she mumbled, looking away from him.

He nodded. "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" He leaned in closer to see for himself.

She inched away, shaking her head fervently. "Nope," she flustered, "I'm good." She knew she wasn't alright. She could feel the bruises forming on her arms and legs, even on the back of her head.

Sitting up fully, she patted her head, to check that the wig was still secure. Sighing in relief, she relaxed a little as footsteps approached them.

"Annabeth, are you alright?" a familiar voice said urgently.

She craned her neck to look behind her. Percy asked, "You know that person?"

Annabeth smiled, containing her laughter. "Yeah, that's the nurse. Well actually, kind of a student nurse. He's taken up an independent study program under the nurse because he wants to be a doctor."

The boy jogging towards them looked at Percy suspiciously, before turning to Annabeth and checking her heartbeat. "What happened?"

"I passed out," Annabeth said bluntly, before shooting him a warning look not to spill anything out.

The boy looked like he was going to say something sarcastic, but laughed lightly. Turning to Percy, he said, "You must be one of the new kids. I'm Will Solace...uh, student nurse, doctor in training."

Percy grinned, shaking Will's hand. "Percy Jackson, soccer player for Manhattan Soccer Club."

"Do you remember what happened, Annabeth?" Will asked her, checking her blood pressure.

Annabeth shook her head, shrugging her shoulders as Will shot her a stern look not to move. She turned to Percy. "Thanks. You should probably go to class now." She added a light chuckle, hopefully improving his view of her.

He grinned. "I still don't know where the class is."

She laughed. "Continue to the end of this hallway and go into the back hallway on the right. If you continue all the way to the end of that hallway, you'll find Brunner's class."

"Thanks Annabeth," he said picking up his binder. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Annabeth nodded. "I'm sure Will doesn't bite. Thanks again," she said gratefully, making up her mind that this Percy kid wasn't as bad as the rest of them were.

"I'll see you around. Get better!" he called out as he turned her back on her and walked down the hallway.

As soon as he was out of sight, Will said, "How long has it been since you came back from the hospital?"

Aside from Thalia, her family, and her teachers, Will was the only other person that knew of her diagnosis. The only reason he knew was because whenever she needed medical help, he was there.

"A week," Annabeth mumbled, looking down. When she caught sight of his reprimanding look, she protested, "I couldn't miss any more work! I was gone for two whole weeks!"

Will shook his head. "You should take of yourself."

Annabeth shot him a look. "What else am I going to do?"

"I don't know, Annabeth," he said, his eyes drifting down to the marks on her arms.

She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Am I good to go, Will?"

He shook his head, pulling out his cell phone. "I'm calling your mom."

Annabeth's eyes bulged out of her head. "Let's not do that now..." she said lightly, reaching for his phone.

"You need a day off. You're getting stressed."

She shook her head, before reconsidering and slowly nodding. "At least let me finish the day out."

Will sighing heavily. "Fine."

She reached up after he stood up and he pulled on her arms. She grunted and stood up with much effort.

"I'll walk you to class," he said, grabbing her binder, and she nodded.

When she felt a little lightheaded, she grabbed ahold of his shoulder.

He pointed a finger to her, motioning for her to stay right there, and he went and grabbed her a cookie and a juice box.

"That should fix you up temporarily."

She smiled gratefully and munched on her cookie on their slow walk to Mr. Brunner's room.

They got there before she finished her juice, so they stood outside of the room until she finished it up.

She hugged him, and he left, leaving her to walk into class alone.  
It would have been more embarrassing with Will though.

She gripped the door handle and slowly turned it, allowing herself to be seen by the class.

Mr. Brunner was at his desk, grading papers, while everyone else was doing independent work. Everyone craned their necks towards her as she went up to

Mr. Brunner to explain why it took so long to get to class. She whispered to her teacher, "I was in the nurses' office." He nodded, knowing her condition, and motioned for her to take a seat.

She quietly took her seat across Thalia, whose head was bent down. Everyone stared at her, until she became almost boring to look at. She pulled out a book and started her independent work, while all the others shuffled in their seats, the whispers becoming louder and louder.

Annotating their independent reading assignments almost always meant they could listen to their music, so she pulled out her cell phone and popped the earbuds in her ear.

She heard some shuffling distantly, and before she knew it, Percy was sitting on the other side of her. Shooting him a questioning look, she turned back to her book, before a sheet of paper landed on her desk.

"_Are you alright_?" it read.

She concealed her smile, but nodded, her eyes glued to her book. She couldn't afford to get in trouble anymore, period.

She heard him sigh, and she shot him another annoyed look. He shot her a look, and soon, they were glaring at each other.

Mr. Brunner was staring at the both of them staring at each other, trying to hide a grin. "Annabeth and, what's your name? Stop making eyes at each other and work."

Everyone's heads lifted up, and suddenly everyone was staring at them. Annabeth's face turned a beet red, while Percy just grinned.  
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she looked back down at her book, and when everyone looked back to their own books, she wrote on the sheet of paper.

"_Sorry._"

~oOo~

She stayed home the next day.

It was a horrible idea, but she was feeling horrible, so she figured it was necessary.

Her parents had let her stay home by herself, trusting her to call them if she needed any help. Malcolm pleaded to them to stay home, but ultimately got denied.

Annabeth made herself comfortable on the couch, with a blanket, a book, a mug of hot chocolate, and her cell phone.

At around lunchtime, her phone buzzed.

_Hey Annabeth, it's Percy :)_

Her eyes widened and a crease formed along her lips.

_How'd you get my number?_

Was her response.

_Your friend Thalia._

Annabeth sighed heavily. It buzzed once again.

_Are you doing alright? I didn't see you this morning._

Annabeth smiled at his concern.

_Yep :)_

She responded, and they left it at that, because he needed to go to class.

The thought of just his friendliness filled her with the warmth she'd been missing this whole time. She couldn't stop smiling.

Opening her independent reading book, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, she began to read.

_"'Every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.'"_

* * *

_A/N:_

_I felt like updating so I did._

_-Bubbles-_


	4. Chapter 4

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 4_

~oOo~

Dr. Apollo was quite a character, to say the least.

Annabeth was fond of him, because he actually seemed to know what he was doing.

She had an appointment later that day, so she felt good going because she had rested up. Her mother came home early from work to drive her to the doctor's office.

Even though she was sixteen, Annabeth didn't know how to drive. She hadn't bothered learning.

Thalia had texted her after school, when she was on her way to the doctors, explaining how Percy wanted her number.

Annabeth sighed. She felt really weird about the whole situation. Did no one give him weird looks like they did with her? Why was he treated differently than she was even though they spent time with each other?

So many unanswered questions arose in her mind. She shook her head in attempt to shake them out of her mind. Her mind needed to be cleared before her appointment.

When they reached the office, Annabeth walked in and caught eye of Will.

"Will!" she whispered from the waiting room, hoping he'd hear her.

He didn't.

But, he ended up being the one to take her to her room.

"Hey Annabeth," he said, grinning.

She waved at him, and then followed him to the room. Her mother followed her, a knowing smile on her face. Annabeth shot her a look, as if to say that it wasn't the way she thought it was.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked him, checking her weight on the scale.

Will turned to her, recording her weight and height down. "You didn't know? I'm Apollo's son."

Annabeth's mouth formed an "o" as they left that room and headed to another. "Following the footsteps of Dad, huh?"

He nodded eagerly, placing a file on top of a countertop in the room. "I'll see you at school."

"Thanks again for yesterday," she called to him as he left.

Athena's eyebrows rose. "Yesterday?"

It finally hit Annabeth that she hadn't told her mother that she'd passed out the day before.

Sighing, she said, "I might've passed out on the way to first period."

Athena stood up in shock. "Annabeth Chase! And you didn't say anything?"

"I thought the school would have called!" she yelled in defense, putting her hands up. She didn't regret telling Will not to tell her mom, but she figured the school would have called nonetheless.

Athena rolled her eyes and sat back down, but continued to glare at Annabeth for an explanation.

"I was helping out a kid find his classroom and then I passed out on the way there. The kid called the nurse and Will came because he's like the nurse but in training. You know that he knows about my…condition."

She nodded, and then pulled out a magazine from next to her. Annabeth could tell she was really mad at her. "Next time, you're coming straight home after this kind of stuff happens."

"Yes ma'am," Annabeth whispered, and there was a knock on the door.

Apollo came in, a broad smile on his face. "Good afternoon," he said courteously.

Annabeth waved, while Athena just said a quiet "Hello," without even looking up from her magazine. Apollo's brows raised; Athena wasn't that rude. Annabeth had to mouth that she was angry with her.

Apollo let out a chuckle, before taking a seat in front of the countertop.

"So how's everything going?" he asked, turning to log into the computer.

Annabeth shrugged, when Athena jumped to it. "She passed out yesterday," she said quickly, and Annabeth shot her look. She was eventually going to mention that.

"Will was there," Annabeth mentioned meekly as Apollo typed into the computer. With every key that clicked, her heart pounded inside her chest. Her palms were sweaty; she was nervous. She didn't know why, because she came here so often.

Apollo spun his chair around to face her, a warm smile radiating off of his face. "Well, Annabeth, you've lost a significant amount of weight. Do you realize that?" Annabeth nodded. "Is it your appetite?" Annabeth shook her head, shrugging.

He sighed, rolling his chair a little closer to her. "I need you to cooperate with me."

"I am," she said, rolling her gray eyes.

Just then, the door opened, a stunning lady, maybe in her mid-20s, stood at the door.

Apollo face-palmed. "Artemis, what the hell are you doing? I kind of have a patient."

Artemis grinned mischievously, fully opening the door and letting herself in. "Well, I needed something from you, but then I heard Annabeth was here."

Annabeth grinned. "Hey Lady Artemis," she said, waving.

Apollo was confused. "So how exactly do you know my sister?"

"Thalia," Annabeth said bluntly, and Artemis smiled, making hand motions for 'besties.'

Athena, looked up from her magazine, and greeted Artemis with a smile. "How are you, Artemis? It's been quite a while."

Artemis nodded, saying that she was doing alright. Thalia was being a struggle at home, the rebellious age, etcetera. Athena stood up to give her a hug.

"So how's our little Annabeth doing?" Artemis asked.

Annabeth shrugged yet another time during their appointment. She could tell that it was irritating everyone. Apollo mumbled, "She's not cooperating." Athena muttered that she was still really angry at her.

Artemis laughed. "Feelin' the love. Well, Apollo, do a better job."

"I can't with you in here," he muttered bitterly.

She shot him a glare, before saying her goodbyes and leaving the room. "Finally," Apollo said loudly, making sure Artemis could hear him even past the door.

"I heard you!" she screamed back, and Annabeth giggled.

Jotting something down on a sheet of paper, Apollo handed it to Annabeth. "Here," he said. "Today's obviously not the best day, so come back two days later, okay?"

Annabeth nodded, gingerly taking the slip of paper. He turned to Athena. "Can I talk to you outside?"

Athena, who had been watching Annabeth intently for a while, nodded silently. Annabeth stayed in the room, swinging her legs and sitting patiently.

She had absolutely no idea what they could be talking about out there. They hadn't exactly done anything today for them to even talk about.

Athena came back, eyes glistening. Clearing her throat, she held her hand out. "Come on, Annabeth. We'll schedule you for a blood draw tomorrow morning and another appointment for the day after. Sound good?"

Biting her lip, Annabeth nodded. "See you later, Dr. Apollo. Sorry I wasn't so cooperative today."

"No problem, Annabeth! I'll see you soon," he said warmly, patting her back.

Athena and Annabeth walked out of the building, before Annabeth even dared to ask what Apollo had said. Athena shook her head. "Nothing, honey. Nothing for you to worry about."

Annabeth didn't want to push it any further.

She feared that even if she _did_ find out, it would push _her _off the edge.

~oOo~

Thalia had called her as soon as she'd gotten home.

"_How are you doing?_" she'd asked.

Annabeth shrugged, and then realized that Thalia couldn't even see her. "Alright. Apollo and Mom had a talk and I don't about what."

Thalia sighed.

"Oh, and Lady Artemis walked in too," Annabeth said, grinning widely. "It was pretty funny."

She could hear some shuffling on the other end, and then Thalia was yelling. "_Why'd you walk into Annabeth's appointment, Mom?_ Come on!"

Annabeth giggled, and then said she needed to go. It was time for her to take her pills anyways. Walking into the kitchen, she opened up one of the cupboards, drawing out one of her pill bottles.

Sighing, she opened it, and her eyes popped out.

Someone had been taking her pills.

* * *

_A/N:_

_Hey there!_

_Sorry there was no update last week (which was why I had planned ahead and updated twice the week before). _

_Um, so, it's finally picking up a little. _

_I have to warn: it's intended to be completely realistic but realistic to...an extreme. There's no way all of this could possibly happen all at once, but it may also happen. Does that make sense? I don't know. I hope so. _

_I hope you liked it!_

_Please read and review to tell me what you think!_

_~Bubbles~_


	5. Chapter 5

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 5_

~oOo~

The next morning, Annabeth tried to talk to Malcolm, but he was a little upset over a grade he made on his math test, so she let it drop for the moment.

She was scared.

If someone from the house was taking her pills, she didn't know what the outcome could be.

Second, her parents would have to pay extra to buy her more.

It was like she was dependent on them. Her life was hanging on a string, and if this became a problem, that string may as well snap.

Sighing, she hopped in her mother's car, who was driving her to the blood drawing office.

They got there in a short span of time, and finished up in a shorter time than that.

Annabeth was used to having needles poked through her skin. She felt like she was being tested on or something, but it got the doctors the information they needed.

The drive to school was silent in the car, except for the radio playing at a soft volume. She didn't say a word to her mother about the pills; she knew her mom would figure out herself sooner or later.

She was late to first period, but her teacher knew what was going on, and had already arranged the assignment she had missed.

Trying her best to quietly walk into the classroom, she gently took the assignment waiting on the teacher's desk and sat at her seat, everyone's eyes on her. Sighing heavily, her shoulders slumped forward, she swore she heard someone say, "Look what the cat dragged in."

Her face burned as she wrote on her paper, but she pretended not to hear anything anyone was saying. A girl with chestnut hair pulled up a seat at the desk next to her.

Turning to Annabeth, she smiled. "I'm Piper."

"Uh, hi Piper. I'm Annabeth," Annabeth replied, whispering. She drew her attention back to the paper, and when she found Piper still sitting there, she said, "What are you doing?"

She almost wanted to ask Piper if she had any friends.

Piper shrugged. "You seemed lonely, so I thought I'd join you."

"You don't want to do that," she responded, her eyes directed downwards. It wasn't threatening, just sorrowful. "Don't you have other friends?"

Piper nodded, pulling out her own assignment. "Yeah, but they're all in the back of the class. I can call them over if you want."

_To make fun of me?_ Annabeth wanted to respond sardonically, but instead, urgently said, "No, that's okay."

Piper smiled again, and started to work on her assignment.

For once, it wasn't so lonely at her table.

~oOo~

The lunches at Goode High were split between _everyone _in the school into four different timings.

Annabeth didn't have lunch with Thalia.

It forced her to sit alone, even though the tables were set into rows where cliques of people would sit one after the other. The two seats next to her were empty, but after those two seats, masses of people sat, chatting happily.

Pulling out a notebook from the binder sitting next to her, she began her math homework that was due the next period.

"Do you need any help?" a husky voice asked, forcing Annabeth to look up abruptly.

Her eyes met icy blue ones, barely covered up by sandy blonde hair. He was decked out in the trademark soccer gear she'd been seeing in the hallways for the past few days. Shaking her head, she slowly chewed into her sandwich, looking back down at the sheet of paper.

It took her a moment to realize that he was still standing there, and just as he was about to pull up a chair across from her, she said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Are you threatening me?" he asked teasingly, taking a seat nonetheless.

Annabeth wanted to groan, but instead, packed up her stuff and started to leave the table.

She could hear him sigh as she left, but he didn't bother chasing after her.

It made her think that he was just looking for some fun.

~oOo~

On the ride back home, Annabeth dared to ask Malcolm about the pills.

"Half of my bottle of pills are missing, Malcolm," she said, strapping the seatbelt.

He looked at her, and before he could mask his shock and surprise, Annabeth caught the look.

A moment later, Annabeth whispered, "Have you been taking my pills, Malcolm?"

Malcolm pulled out of the driveway, no response coming out of his mouth. He pursed his lips tightly.

"Have you been taking my pills, Malcolm?" she asked sternly, her voice louder.

She didn't get a response.

She felt as if she was about to cry.

Tears welled up in her eyes and her she sniffled.

"Malcolm Chase, answer me!" she screamed, her tears falling freely. The car stopped suddenly, in the middle of the alleyway they were on.

He turned and looked at her, his face impassive. "Yes, I've been taking your pills, Annabeth."

She turned to him and slapped him. He held his cheek as he tried to explain himself.

"I needed money, Annabeth," he said desperately. When he could tell she was confused, he added, "All I'm doing is selling them."

She was taken aback. "Money for what?" she spat, wiping the tears from her eyes.

There was no response.

"Take me home," she whispered.

He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "Don't tell Mom and Dad," he begged. She turned away impassively from him.

"Take me home."

* * *

_A/N:_

_Eh, it's been a while. _

_School. _

_Please review!_

_~Bubbles_


	6. Chapter 6

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 6_

~oOo~

Annabeth made sure she looked her happiest walking into the house. She could tell Malcolm was grateful, but she didn't – couldn't – bring herself to say another word to him.

After she was in the clear from her parents, she ran upstairs, dragging Malcolm along with her.

"What are you involved in?" she whispered threateningly. "What's going on?"

Malcolm shook his head, running a hand through his hair and looking down. "I can't tell you that," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Annabeth."

She glared at him, before asking him another question. "What's the money for?" She tried to keep her voice down, but she didn't know how much longer she could keep it contained.

"I can't tell you that either."

"Malcolm Chase!" she yelled, gripping his shoulders and shaking them. "Tell me, Malcolm," she pleaded, her voice shaking. She felt weak, vulnerable. She sniffled as she looked at him expectantly, her wet eyes blurring her vision. "Tell me!"

"I can't, Annabeth," he said, his voice cracking. There was a hint of urgency in his sorrowful tone, but Annabeth couldn't pick out why. "I'm sorry."

Annabeth started sobbing. "No you're not," she screamed. "If you were, then you would tell me why!"

He shook his head, before he pleaded for her to be quieter.

"My life, right now, is dependent on those pills, Malcolm," she said, recollecting herself as best as she could.

Shaking his head, he mumbled an apology and walked out.

~oOo~

Annabeth walked to school that morning.

She'd left earlier in the morning, without her parents knowing. She had sent Malcolm a text instead of facing him herself, saying that she didn't need a ride that morning.

She knew she would get sick from it. It was almost freezing outside, she didn't bother to have breakfast, and she wasn't covered up very well.

It was all out of spite and stubbornness.

She dressed in a comfortable pair of washed out skinny jeans and a pair of black Converse. She wore a jean, button down shirt, and threw a dark gray pull over sweater over it, rolling up the sleeves and fixing the collar. Over that, she put on a heavy coat that almost reached her knees, and to top it off, threw on a gray scarf that matched the sweater.

She felt really hot inside of it, but she knew that once she walked out, she would be grateful.

Checking the time, she decided that she was already running late, so she skipped breakfast and headed out with all of her stuff.

No one noticed her slip out.

It took her half an hour to reach the school, and that too, really early. So early that only teachers were in the building.

She didn't want to get caught.

About fifteen minutes later, her phone started to go off (which she deliberately ignored), she sat down at the cafeteria, where the lights were actually on.

There were only a few more people in the cafeteria then; it was a common place for kids to go before school actually started.

She didn't bother conversing with any of those kids; they already know who she is.

She had that bad of a rep.

It didn't bother her.

It couldn't bother her.

She wouldn't – shouldn't – let it bother her. Otherwise, it would probably land her in the hospital again.

Sighing, she sniffled, her burning cheeks still freezing. She was sure that she was coming down with something.

Heading up to her locker, she grabbed everything she needed for the day. She walked slowly, knowing she basically had all the time in the world. Trying her best to avoid Malcolm, she went to the library, knowing he wouldn't be there.

She went all the way to the back, and sat down in the corner, where she knew no one would find her.

It was about 9 o'clock when someone actually found her.

"Annabeth?" an innocent voice said, footsteps getting closer and closer.

Annabeth wanted to hide her face in her book. Chuckling weakly, she said, "H-Hey."

Looking up, she noticed Percy walking straight towards her. Smiling, he mumbled a quick, "Hey," and took a seat next to her.

She'd just now noticed how white his teeth were.

It was a rather unusual statement, but it had always struck to her that he was attractive, no doubt. What really tickled her brain was why he was always around her.

He was _cool_.

Sighing, she buried her nose further into her book, to ward him off.

"Hey, so have you finished annotating for English class?"

Annabeth shook her head, eyes still glued to the book.

"What are you doing, Annabeth?" he whispered, and Annabeth could hint out sorrow in his tone.

She looked at him, puzzled. She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He looked away from her, drawing in a deep breath. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Never mind. I'll see you around." He slung his backpack around his shoulder and walked off before Annabeth got a chance to say goodbye.

Sighing, she slammed her head on top of her book.

She had absolutely no idea what she was doing.

~oOo~

"I'm Nico," the boy said, sticking a hand out to Annabeth.

She looked up through her blonde bangs, and she wondered if she looked like she had a glare set on her face. "Annabeth," she muttered, shaking the hand.

Nico ran his hand through his pitch black hair. Annabeth swept her eyes over him, a judgment forming in her mind.

Soccer boy. Decked out in soccer merch.

Obviously full of himself.

She didn't need to make much out of him after concluding that he was a soccer boy – all of the soccer boys were full of themselves.

He didn't say much, but she could tell that he was sizing her up as well.

"How do you like this school?" she asked quietly, trying her best to break the ice.

The two of them were assigned as partners for an experiment in chemistry class. She figured she might as well try her best to seem friendly, rather than hostile in any form whatsoever.

He shrugged, taking a seat at the table while Annabeth set everything up. "It's alright," he muttered, looking around the class.

Silence enveloped them, and Annabeth drew out two test tubes from the cupboard under the table.

A boy and a girl, hand in hand, ran over to their table. "We're in your group," the boy said breathlessly.

Annabeth recognized the girl as Piper from the other day, and Piper smiled widely at her. "Hey Annabeth!" she said just as breathlessly.

Annabeth offered a smile, but went back to work, gathering all of the acids required to perform the lab.

"Hey Nico," the boy said casually, and Nico jerked his chin up in a form of a greeting.

The boy, unclasping his hand from Piper's, came over to the back, where Annabeth stood. "You need any help?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I think I got it, thanks." She didn't want to come off as rude, but that's what usually ended up happening.

This time, she couldn't read any sign that he thought she was being rude.

He went back to the table, and she followed him slowly. Their table was all the way near the front of the room, and the counter was in the back, so she took her time. Kids were running about, and she didn't want to spill anything on anyone.

She approached the table safely, and just as she was about to set the bottles down, someone bumped into her.

The acid spilled over her fingers, and she cried out.

"Shit," she hissed through her teeth, stumbling over to the back of the class where the wash station was. People were in her way, which made it harder to run back there.

Her skin burned, and Annabeth didn't know how much longer she could bear it. Her heart thudded and sweat formed along her forehead; she was heating up. The pain became unbearable, and she cried out in pain.

The class went into a frenzy. "Go help her!" someone yelled, while Annabeth tried to make her way to the back.

"Annabeth!" someone yelled urgently, and Percy hopped over to rush her to the station.

Holding her gently, he helped her move quickly, yelling at everyone to get out of the way. Annabeth was taken aback, as was everyone else in the class. The murmurs began, and Annabeth began to feel lightheaded.

"You'll be alright," he whispered in her ear, turning on the wash station and letting the water pour over her burned hand.

She closed her eyes and winced, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent from screaming. Percy rubbed her back, whispering encouragingly in her ear.

They stood like that for a good ten minutes, until the burning lulled to a sting.

The teacher walked over to them, and smiled gratefully at Percy, patting his shoulder. "Good citizen of society," she muttered, and then tended to Annabeth, who was still cringing in pain.

A minute later, the teacher declared that Annabeth needed to go to the nurse.

"I'll go with her," Percy said, walking over to her. He threw an arm across her back and hugged her shoulder.

As soon as they were out of the classroom, Annabeth sighed, trying to shrug him off.

"What are _you_ doing, Percy?"

To which, she got no response.

* * *

_A/N:_

_ahhhh i'm so sorry i haven't updated but here you are anyways and i hope you like it enough to review (pls)_

_thank you so much for those of you that are reading it!_

_~bubbles~_


	7. Chapter 7

The Way Things Turn Out

**Summary:** "Drama, lies, and tears. Cheers to the teenage years." Annabeth Chase was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and now her doctor's saying that she's only got a year left on her. In this one year, she finds everything falling apart: her family is torn apart in ways she couldn't imagine, and she finds herself falling for someone she can't have. Can she manage to piece her life back together before her time is up?

* * *

_The Way Things Turn Out_

_Chapter 7_

~oOo~

It hadn't struck Annabeth that an attractive guy had been holding her for more than half an hour until they reached the nurses' office.

Will was sitting in front of the computer when the two hobbled in. His eyes were glued to the computer as he asked, "How may I help you?"

Annabeth snickered; he sounded like he worked at a convenience store. "Will," she said, catching his attention.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. He cast Percy the evil eye, like he did on their first encounter. "What'd you do?"

"Oh you know, the usual," Annabeth said sarcastically, "just spilled acid on my hand."

He got up from his chair to inspect her hand. "You're an idiot."

"Well, I try."

This evoked a snicker from Percy, who was still hugging her tightly. Annabeth looked at him, and he abruptly let go of her. He rubbed his hands on his pants and cleared his throat, looking down at the floor awkwardly.

Annabeth smiled. "You'd better head back to class," she said quietly.

He looked up and met her eyes. He nodded, and mumbled, "Come back soon. Don't want you to miss anything."

As soon as he was out of the room, Will began to laugh uncontrollably. Annabeth smacked him in the shoulder with her free hand. "What?" she asked, giggling.

He shook his head. "I think he might like you."

Annabeth's smile disappeared off of her face.

"It's possible, Annabeth," Will whispered, tending to her arm.

She shook her head, gulping in the sterile air.

"I honestly don't think so."

~oOo~

Just the simple thought of it nagged in the back of her mind all day.

She just couldn't stop thinking about what Will had said.

She needed to avoid Percy.

Does he not know…about her? Does he not hear the rumors? Surely he must be popular to some extent, considering he's one of those soccer boys. Annabeth had managed to slip away from the list of rumors when the soccer boys came – they were all what everyone was talking about.

She managed to slip away from everyone's thoughts, until Percy started to hang around her.

Her teeth gritted, and she got furious.

She wanted to blame the whole thing on Percy, but she knew it was all her fault from the start.

Just like she had in the morning, she walked. She walked back home, trying her best to stay away from Malcolm. She still couldn't bear to face him.

She took the back entrance out of the school, because Malcolm parked his car in the front.

Sighing, she shoved her gloves on, still infuriated with herself. She started mumbling angrily to herself, saying how she could have possibly let this get out of hand.

As she walked, a car slowed down, and Annabeth could sense that it was Percy.

Percy rolled down the window, and Annabeth stopped walking abruptly. Turning her head, she looked at Percy, who was just about to call out her name.

He smiled when they made eye contact, and he said, "Do you need a ride?"

Annabeth fought the urge to shiver, and shook her head. He cocked his head to the side, as if to say, _Really? _

"I'll, uh, I'll see you around," Annabeth forced out, and turned her head straight ahead and continued walking.

Percy stuck his head out the window. "Annabeth, get in here."

Annabeth froze, the passing people shot her weird looks. Sighing, she walked towards the car.

She rested her head against the cool metal of the car and looked down at Percy. "How do I know I can trust you?" she whispered.

"You walked back to me, didn't you?"

~oOo~

Annabeth managed to slip into the house quietly, so no one would notice her.

She wanted to punch herself in the mouth. Why? Because she had ended up getting a ride from Percy.

He treated her to Starbucks.

She had _fun_.

Throwing her stuff on the floor, she flopped on her bed. She wasn't supposed to have fun. Why was he spending so much time with her?

"Annabeth?" she heard someone call, and she shot up.

Sighing and rolling her eyes, she responded, just as Malcolm walked in. Annabeth huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from him.

"I know you're mad," he pleaded, speaking quietly, "but please hear me out."

Annabeth buried her face in her arms, before reluctantly nodding. "Whatever," she mumbled, her voice muffled by the sleeves of her coat.

He drew in a deep breath, and took a seat on the chair in front of Annabeth's desk. "I needed the money," he began, "for college."

She lifted her head up, brows furrowed, a frown set on her face. "Don't you have a savings account?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked away from her, before quietly mumbling, "They took it away."

"Mom and Dad?"

He nodded. "They took away the college savings they'd been putting away…and used it for your hospital bills."

Annabeth's eye bulged out, her throat getting dry. She could feel the lump forming at the bottom of her throat as the weight settled at the pit of her stomach. She reached out, but didn't know what for. "No…no, they couldn't – " She stopped short when she saw the look on his face.

"They weren't going to pay for college." He looked at the floor, shuffling his feet.

Annabeth's lip trembled, but she willed herself not to cry. She'd done enough of that. "No," she said, her voice shaky. "They couldn't have." Her heart broke when the reality hit her. She was hurting them.

She was hurting her family.

Sniffling, she looked down at the bed sheets, picking at a loose string. "Take all the pills you need," Annabeth whispered shakily, a tear rolling down her cheek.

After that, no more words were said.

~oOo~

"You should stop treatment," Annabeth mentioned, clearing her throat.

The whole family was gathered at the dinner table. Her mother gasped, while her father glared at her.

"Annabeth, what are you saying?" Athena asked.

She coughed, her suddenly, her chest felt tight. "I'm saying you should stop treatment. There's no point if none of this is working anyways."

"We're almost there, honey," Fredrick said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than Annabeth.

Annabeth kicked Malcolm under the table, and he cleared his throat. "I, uh, yeah," he mumbled, shoving a forkful of peas in his mouth.

She glared at him. She wanted backup on this, but it looks like she wasn't going to get any from him. Matthew and Bobby were just sitting there, battling intensely on their videogames.

Sighing, she added, "Well, we've already cleared out chemo and radiation, and yet they keep doing it. And pills? Like what the hel-ck?" She coughed to cover up her mistake.

Athena looked furious. "Annabeth, we have every intention of keeping you alive."

"Well if nothing's working, then maybe it just wasn't meant to happen. Maybe you should use the money for something like, I dunno, _education_?" she spat.

Athena and Fredrick looked at each other, and Athena drew in a deep breath. Before she could say anything however, Annabeth was too angry to finish her dinner.

Throwing her napkin on the table, she stood up. "Sorry, but this dinner looks a little _expensive_ to me."

"Annabeth!" Fredrick called and Annabeth ran upstairs to her room.

Locking herself in her room, she laid down on her bed, string at the ceiling.

Her phone vibrated; someone was calling her. She looked at the screen for a moment, because she didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"_Annabeth?_" a familiar voice said.

Annabeth sighed. It was that Nico kid. "That's me."

"_Hey. Yeah, uh, I kind of need your help._"

"With what?" Annabeth was starting to get worried, but also suspicious.

"_With the chemistry stuff." _

"I didn't even do it," she muttered.

"_Well, actually, I need to call in a favor." _

Annabeth was seriously creeped out. "With what?" she forced out.

"_I need you to stay away from Percy."_

* * *

_A/N:_

_let me know what you think!_

_~bubbles~_


End file.
